Float hinge adapier



May 15, 1962 M. J. KlTTLER FLOAT HINGE ADAPTER Filed NOV. 3, 1958 IN VENTOR. Maw/v 1 /f/rrc 6/? and being open on its inner side.

Ufiiid States Patent 3,034,529 FLQAT HINGE ADAPTER Milton 3. Kittler, Bloomfield Hills, 'Mich., assignor to Holley Carburetor fiornpany, Van Dyke, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Nov. 3, 1958, Ser. No. 771,498 15 Claims. (Cl. 137-315) The present invention relates to a float hinge adapter, and more generally to the combination with a carburetor fuel bowl of a valve actuating float arm and mounting means therefor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter mounted on pivot means normally provided for receiving the free end of a valve actuating float arm, the adapter having pivot mounting means thereon located more closely adjacent to the fuel inlet valve for mounting the end of the valve actuating float arm so as to increase the leverage appli d thereby.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter in position between an inlet valve housing and an adjacent wall of a fuel bowl, abutment and wedging means on said adapter engageable with confronting surfaces of said housing and wall, and pivot mounting means on said adapter to support the free end of a valve actuated float arm.

Still more specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an adapter having a pair of cars thereon provided with a first pair of registering openings for mounting the adapter on a pin projecting inwardly from one wall of a carburetor fuel bowl, said ears having a second pair of aligned openings adapted to receive a mounting pin for pivotally supporting the free end of a valve actuating float arm, a rigid abutment on said adapter engageable with a side of the valve housing, and resilient means on the adapter engageable with the adjacent inner surface of the bowl wall to wedge the adapter in located position with reference to the valve housing.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an adapter as described in the preceding paragraph in which the adapter comprises an elongated sheet metal body in which the ears are bent up from opposite sides thereof and in which the resilient means comprises a bent end portion of said elongated body.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a carburetor with the fuel bowl in section.

FEGURE 2 is an enlarged detailed view of the adapter and associated mechanism with parts broken away.

FIGURE 3 is an exploded view of the elements making up the adapter assembly.

In FIGURE 1 there is shown the side elevational view of a carburetor comprising a main body it} to which a fuel bowl 12 is attached. The fuel bowl is an elongated body having an outer Wall, top, bottom, and end walls it is attached to the side of a metering body (not shown) and the metering body and bowl are attached to the main body by suitable fastening means such for example as screws passing through openings 14 so as to clamp the open sided bowl member 12 against the main body and thus to provide a completely enclosed bowl.

The metering body is provided with suitable openings (not shown) providing for the passage of fuel to the main nozzle, idling and transfer ports, etc. The present invention is concerned only with the construction which maintains the proper iV1 of fuel in the fuel bowl.

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Fuel from an external source such for example as a fuel pump 16, is supplied through a fitting 18 to a chamber 20and thence through a passage 22 to-the interior of the bowl 12. The flow of fuel through the passage 22 is controlled by a fuel inlet valve member 24 having a tapered valving portion movable vertically in a valve housing 26 toward and away from a Valve seat indicated at 23 therein. Fuel passing the valve seat enters the interior of the bowl through ports 3%).

The fuel in the bowl 12 is maintained at a constant level by a valve actuating float arm 32 engageable with an extension 33 of the valve member 24, the arm 32 having at its outer end a float 34. Associated with the float 34 is a compression spring 36 urging the float upwardly in valve closing direction.

The free end of the valve actuating float arm 32 is pivotally connected to an adapter indicated generally at 38, details of which are best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3. The adapter comprises an elongated body portion 40 formed of sheet metal having at'opposite sides thereof upturned ears 42 and 44. The ears 42 and 44 are provided with a first pair of pin receiving openings 46 adapted to receive a mounting pin 56 extending inwardly from the side wall of the bowl 12. The cars 42 and 44 are provided with a second pair of aligned openings 52 adapted to receive a pivot pin 54 which extends through an eye '56 formed at the free end of the float arm 32. The elongated body 40 at one end is provided with a rigid abutment 58 engageable with one side of the valve'housing 26. At its other end the elongated body 40 is bent upwardly to provide a resilient ear 60 engageable with the inner surface of the end wall 62 of the bowl.

Inasmuch as the adapter 38 is mounted on a pivot pin 50, it would be rotatable about such pin except for the presence of the abutment portion '53 thereof.

Referring now to FIGURE 2 it will be observed that upward force applied to the float either by buoyancy or by the action of the compression spring 36 tends to rock the float arm 32 counterclockwise about the end of the valve extension 33, thus applying a downward force to the pivot pin 54. This in turn applies a clockwise torque to the adapter 38 and tends to maintain the abutment 5% in locating engagement against the adjacent side of the valve housing "26. To insure that the adapter is properly maintained in this desired relationship, the resilient ear 6% of the adapter body 4%) is in wedging relation against the inner surface of the end wall 62.

The pivot mounting pin 59, on which the adapter 3% is carried, has in prior constructions served as the pivot mounting for the free end of the float arm 32. By employing the present construction it will be observed that the leverage exerted by the float 34 is substantially increased, thus permitting the float, with the assistance of the compression spring 36, to effectively maintain the valve element 24 in closed relation on its valve seat against the fluid pressure developed by the fuel pump 16 as increased, as sometimes occurs, by vapor pressure attributable to volatility of modern fuels.

The drawing and the foregoing specification constitute a description of the improved float hinge adapter in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. Carburetor fuel bowl valve and float construction comprising a fuel bowl having an inlet valve housing disposed in spaced relation to one wall thereof, a valve element movable in said housing, a valve actuating float having an arm provided with pivot means at its end, and pivot mounting means for said arm comprising an adapter disposed between confront ng surfaces of said valve housing and the adjacent wall portion of said bowl, said adapter being mounted in said fuel bowl independently of said housing, a pivot connection between said adapter and said arm, and a locating abutment on said adapter engaging one of said surfaces.

2. Carburetor fuel bowl valve and float construction comprising a fuel bowl having an inlet valve housing disposed in spaced relation to one wall thereof, a Valve element movable in said housing, a valve actuating float having an arm provided with pivot means at its end, and pivot mounting means for said arm comprising an adapter pivotally mounted between confronting surfaces of said valve housing and the adjacent wall portion of said bowl, said adapter being mounted in said fuel bowl independently of said housing, a pivot connection between said adapter and said arm, and a locating abutment on said adapter engaging one of said surfaces.

3. Carburetor fuel bowl valve and float construction comprising a fuel bowl having an inlet valve housing disposed in spaced relation to one wall thereof, a valve element movable in said housing, a valve actuating float having an arm provided with pivot means at its end, and pivot mounting means for said arm comprising an adapter pivotally mounted between confronting surfaces of said valve housing and the adjacent wall portion of said bowl, a pivot connection between said adapter and said arm,

.a locating abutment on said adapter engaging one of said surfaces, and resilient wedging means on said adapter engaging the other of said surfaces.

4. Carburetor fuel bowl float and valve construction comprising an elongated bowl having side and end walls, an inlet valve housing in said bowl spaced from an end wall thereof, a valve element movable in said housing, a valve actuating float having an arm provided with pivot means at its end, an adapter disposed between confronting surfaces of said end wall and said valve housing, an abutment on said adapter engaging one of said surfaces, resilient wedging means on said adapter engaging the other of said surfaces, and a pivot connection between said adapter and the end of said arm.

5. Carburetor fuel bowl float and valve construction comprising an elongated bowl having side and end walls, an inlet valve housing in said bowl spaced from an end wall thereof, a valve element movable in said housing, a valve actuating float having an arm provided with pivot means at its end, an adapter disposed between confronting surfaces of said end wall and said valve housing, pivot mounting means extending from a side wall of said bowl on which said adapter is mounted, an abutment on said adapter engaging one of said surfaces, resilient wedging means on said adapter engaging the other of said surfaces, and a pivot connection between said adapter and the end of said arm.

6. A valve actuating float adapter mounting comprising a body having laterally spaced parallel ears, said ears having first pivot means for mounting said adapter between a pair of confronting surfaces, and second pivot mounting means for connection to the end of a valve actuating float arm, said body having a rigid abutment thereon engageable with one of said surfaces and a resilient wedging ear engageable with the other of said surfaces to urge said abutment into locating engagement with said one surface.

7. A valve actuating float adapter mounting comprising an elongated sheet metal body having laterally spaced parallel ears turned up from opposite edges thereof, said ears having first pivot means for mounting said adapter between a pair of confronting surfaces, and second pivot mounting means for connection to the end of a valve actuating float arm, said body having one end shaped to form a rigid abutment thereon engageable with one of said surfaces and its other end bent to form a resilient wedging ear engageable with the other of said surfaces to urge said abutment into locating engagement with said one surface.

8. A valve actuating float adapter mounting comprising a body having laterally spaced parallel ears, said ears having a first pair of aligned pin receiving openings to provide first pivot means for mounting said adapter between a pair of confronting surfaces, and a second pair of aligned pin receiving openings to provide second pivot mounting means for connection to the end of a valve actuating float arm, said body having a rigid abutment thereon engageable with one of said surfaces and a resilient wedging ear engageable with the other of said surfaces to urge said abutment into locating engagement with said one surface.

9. A valve actuating float adapter mounting comprising an elongated sheet metal body having laterally spaced parallel ears turned up from opposite-edges thereof, said ears having a first pair of aligned pin receiving openings to provide first pivot means for mounting said adapter between a pair of confronting surfaces, and a second pair of aligned pin receiving openings to provide second pivot mounting means for connection to the end of a valve actuating float arm, said body having one end shaped to form a rigid abutment thereon engageable with one of said surfaces and its other end bent to form a resilient wedging ear engageable with the other of said surfaces to urge said abutment into locating engagement with said one surface.

10. An adapter for increasing the leverage of a float actuated valve control arm having pivot means at one end and a float at the other end, said arm being adapted to be mounted on a pivot pin located in a fuel bowl generally between an inlet valve housing and an adjacent wall portion of the bowl and normally constituting a pivot mounting for an end of the float actuated arm, said adapter comprising pin receiving portions for mounting said adapter on said pin for pivotal movement thereon, pivot means on said adapter located between said pin receiving portions and the valve housing for pivotally supporting said arm, and abutment means on said adapter engageable with the valve housing when said adapter is swung about the pivot pin in the direction occasioned by float applied force on said arm.

11. An adapter for increasing the leverage of a float actuated valve control arm having pivot means at one end and a float at the other end, said arm being adapted to be mounted on a pivot pin located in a fuel bowl generally between an inlet valve housing and an adjacent wall portion of the bowl and normally constituting a pivot mounting for an end of the float actuated arm, said adapter comprising pin receiving portions for mounting said adapter on said pin for pivotal movement thereon, pivot means on said adapter located between said pin receiving portions and the valve housing for pivotally supporting said arm, abutment means on said adapter engageable with the valve housing when said adapter is swung about the pivot pin in the direction occasioned by float applied force on said arm, and resilient means on said adapter engageable with the wall of the bowl adjacent the valve housing.

12. A carburetor fuel bowl assembly comprising a bowl having an inlet valve housing spaced inwardly from a first side wall thereof, a first pivot pin extending inwardly from a second side wall adjacent said first side wall and intended to provide a pivot mounting for the free end of a valve actuating float arm, an adapter pivotally mounted on said pin and located generally between said valve housing and said first wall, a second pivot pin on said adapter located between said first pivot pin and said valve housing, a valve actuating float arm pivotally mounted on said second pin, and an abutment on said adapter engageable with said valve housing to locate said adapter properly with respect thereto.

13. A carburetor fuel bowl assembly comprising a bowl having an inlet valve housing spaced inwardly from a first side wall thereof, a first pivot pin extending inwardly from a second side wall adjacent said first side wall and intended to provide a pivot mounting for the free end of a valve actuating float arm, an adapter pivotally mounted on said pin and located generally between said valve housing and said first wall, a second pivot pin on said adapter located between said first pivot pin and said valve housing, a valve actuating float arm pivotally mounted on said second pin, an abutment on said adapter engageable with said valve housing to locate said adapter properly with respect thereto, and resilient means on said adapter engaging said first wall and effective to maintain said abutment in locating engagement with said valve housing.

14. Carburetor fuel bowl valve and float construction comprising an elongated fuel bowl having side and end walls, an inlet valve housing disposed in said fuel bowl spaced from an end wall thereof, a valve element movable in said housing, a float arm for controlling said valve element, a pivot pin normally provided for receiving an end of the float arm and extending from a side wall of said fuel bowl between said inlet valve housing and said end wall on one side of said valve element, an adapter mounted on said pivot pin for increasing the leverage of the aforesaid float arm, a fulcrum on said adapter between said pivot pin and said inlet valve housing, said float arm being pivotally connected on one end to said fulcrum, a float connected to the other end of said float arm on the other side of said valve element, and a locating abutment on said adapter engageable with said valve housing when said adapter is swung about the pivot pin in the direction occasioned by the float applied force on said float arm.

15. Carburetor fuel bowl valve and float construction comprising an elongated fuel bowl having side and end Walls, an inlet valve housing disposed in said fuel bowl spaced from an end wall thereof, a valve element movable in said housing, a float arm for controlling said valve element, a pivot pin normally provided for receiving an end of the float arm and extending from a side wall of said fuel bowl between said inlet valve housing and said end wall on one side of said valve element, an adapter mounted on said pivot pin for increasing the leverage of the aforesaid float arm, a fulcrum on said adapter between said pivot pin and said inlet valve housing, said float arm being pivotally connected on one end to said fulcrum, a float connected to the other end of said float arm on the other side of said valve element, a locating abutment on said adapter engageable with said valve housing when said adapter is swung about the pivot pin in the direction occasioned by the float applied force on said float arm, and resilient means on said adapter engageable with said one wall of the fuel bowl.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 756,538 Smith Apr. 5, 1904 1,463,907 Olson Aug. 7, 1923 1,874,443 Carter Aug. 30, 1932 2,066,523 Ewart Jan. 5, 1937 2,376,623 Romberg May 22, 1945 2,521,794 Harvey et al Sept. 12, 1950 2,702,562 Bimberg Feb. 22, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 139,631 Great Britain Mar. 11, 1920 118,112 Australia Feb. 8, 1944 

